WHO WE ARE:

A Community Committed To Excellence

WHO WE ARE:

A Community Committed To Excellence

ABOUT US

The Peninsula Schools Education Foundation, incorporated in October 1995, is an independent, non-profit community organization under IRS code section 501 ( c ) (3 ). A volunteer Board of Directors, made up of community members, governs the Foundation, each bringing with them a diverse background. Twenty-five percent of the funds raised are invested and placed in an Endowment fund.

OUR MISSION

To support the Peninsula School District by providing resources to encourage innovative teaching and educational practices. To advocate within our community and to pursue resources from individuals and organizations.

OUR SCHOOLS

Peninsula School District, located in Gig Harbor, Washington, comprises 17 schools and approximately 9,000 students. The annual growth rate is between four and five percent. Geographically, it is located across Puget Sound from the Seattle/Tacoma area and covers a 120 square-mile area on two peninsulas. The Peninsula School District is considered one of the strongest and most innovative districts in the State of Washington.

MEET THE PSEF TEAM

OUR BOARD MEMBERS

Barb Trotter

President

Barb has lived on the Key Peninsula for 35 years and has three grown children. Barb is a former school board member for PSD and a member of the Key Peninsula Community Council. She and her husband are currently retired, and she now spends her time volunteering for several community organizations and traveling, especially to Mexico.

Patricia Scott

Treasurer

Patricia has spent her life living, learning and traveling throughout the world. For over forty years she has been an educator, teacher, counselor and administrator for secondary and college programs. Today she is happily enjoying an active retired life, loving grandkids, traveling, volunteering and generally messing around in Home.

Maria Lanier

Secretary

Maria joined the PSEF in 2005 and has held a variety of positions over the years. She grew up in Florida and received her undergraduate degree from Florida State University and earned a Master’s from Auburn University. She has lived all over the United States as a military spouse. In addition to her volunteer work with the PSEF, Maria works at the Foss Waterway Seaport in Tacoma as an events coordinator. Both her children are graduates from the Peninsula school district.

Marcia Harris

Board Member

Marcia Harris retired in 2012 after 37 years as a public school administrator in Washington. Eleven of those years were served in the Peninsula School District. She is one of the founders of the Peninsula Schools Education Foundation and now serves as an Honorary Member of the board of directors. Marcia is a member of the board of Directors of the Peninsula School District and lives with her husband on the Key Peninsula.

Leslie Harbaugh

Board Member

Leslie was born in the Bay Area and moved to Gig Harbor 17 years ago. Her daughter attended the Peninsula School District and is now studying Marine Biology at the University of Washington. Leslie is a former school board member of the Peninsula School District and served on the Early Learning, Technology, Parent District Council, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committees, CTE Trades Council, Greater Gig Harbor Foundation CAB, was the regional representative for the Interscholastic Activities Committee. She has a deep passion for public schools and currently works for the State House of Representatives as a legislative assistant. She enjoys spending her free time with family, food, and friends.

Dan Gregory

Ex-Officio Board Member

Dan Gregory is an Assistant Superintendent in the Peninsula School District. He has provided feedback to the PSEF Board for several years and was officially brought onto the Board in the summer of 2018 as an Ex-Officio member. Dan earned a Bachelors degree in Business and Marketing and a Master’s Degree in Teaching from the University of Puget Sound. He later returned to school to earn his principal credentials from the University of Puget Sound and his superintendent credentials from Seattle Pacific University. Dan's wife is an Instructional Coach for Tacoma Public Schools and he has three children: a UW Husky, an Eastern WA Eagle, and a Kopachuck Coyote.

Jennifer Butler

Honorary Board Member

Jennifer Butler was born and raised in Southern California, but after a decade in the Pacific Northwest, she has developed a love of grey skies and tall evergreens. She holds a B.A. from Stanford University and served as an officer in the US Navy before becoming an architect. Jennifer enjoys breakfast sandwiches, good conversation and exploring the trails and waterways of Puget Sound with her husband and two daughters.

Derek Kilmer

Honorary Board Member

Born and raised on the Olympic Peninsula, the son of two school teachers, Derek saw firsthand how economic struggles impact working families and their communities. Motivated by the challenges that faced his hometown, Derek focused his studies on economic development, earning a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University’s School of Public & International Affairs and a doctoral degree from the University of Oxford in England. Derek Kilmer currently serves as United States Representative for the residents of Washington’s 6th Congressional District.

Shana Nash

Board Member

Shana Nash is a Pacific Northwest native and Peninsula High School graduate. She holds a B.A. from the University of Victoria and is a communications professional and writer. Shana has two young children in the Peninsula School District. She helped pass the district's first capital bond in 16 years as the Communications Director for Stand Up for Peninsula Schools and continues to advocate on behalf of our local schools. Her family enjoys swimming, fishing and jumping in the lake.

Mary Elkins

Board Member

Mary has lived in Gig Harbor for 37 years, since 1985. Mary was a stay-at-home mom of four children who attended and graduated from Peninsula School District schools, during this time Mary was an active VPO board member for 18 years at Discovery Elementary, Goodman Middle School and a board member of the Gig Harbor Tides Scholarship Foundation for 12 years. In 2009 Mary began working as a pre-school teacher in Gig Harbor until 2019. She and her husband (Peninsula High School-1976) are now retired, and she enjoys traveling to National Parks and Maui.